


Truce

by victimofmywoes



Category: Naruto
Genre: Drama, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-19
Updated: 2013-09-19
Packaged: 2017-12-27 01:16:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/972610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/victimofmywoes/pseuds/victimofmywoes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All he wanted was some peace between them. But as they say big things come in small packages...in his case it could have been a small town or rather a small rundown house in a small town with an ailing Naruto.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Truce

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters are the property of Masashi Kishimoto.

 

His head hurt. No scratch that,  _every inch of his body_ hurt. Uzumaki Naruto sniffed loudly before slapping a hand to his heated forehead and prayed for the roll of nausea to pass.

Of all the things in the world, why did he have to catch a bronchial infection  _now?_ He pulled his robe closer to his body and reached for the rickety banister of the staircase almost blindly. Slowly he crept downstairs to prepare some tea for himself in the kitchen of his old house. It hadn't even been six hours and already he was missing his apartment back in the heart of Konohagakure.

He put the kettle up on the old-fashioned stove to boil and searched wildly for the box of tea bags on the counter. Not finding them there, he cursed before moving in the direction of the living room and that's when the rush of weakness overwhelmed him. As it was, coming downstairs was a feat in itself and now walking was the last straw.

The last sound he heard before the cloud of oblivion overtook his brain was that of the kettle whistling on the stove.

* * *

He was pissed. No scratch that, he was beyond all rational levels of anger and frustration. He was  _mad,_ he was  _livid._ The heavy snowfall that was hindering his driving was just dampening his mood and his hopes was just the perfect icing on the cake.

"Damn it!" he ran a hand through his hair before slowing down the car and squinting to look at the road for the benchmark lest he take a wrong turn and get lost. As it was, driving in the snow was taking it's toll on him.

The tires scrunched the snow as he finally spotted the mark and turned left towards the direction of Naruto's house. Five minutes was all it took for the BMW to come to a screeching halt in the driveway of the house.

Quickly taking a deep breath, he opened the door to his car and then bent towards the passenger seat where his overnight case sat. He locked his car and pulled his coat closer to his body and made an attempt to pocket his keys only dropping them in the snow in the process.

Cursing himself for his own naiveté and then the snow for all the trouble, he made his way towards the house, which belonged to his ex-husband.

Almost all the lights were off save for a dim one, which shone in the direction of the kitchen if he remembered correctly. He walked forward blindly almost stumbling at the foot of the stairs in the dark. Finally he managed to maneuver himself towards the door and frowned when the knob turned easily and the door to the house opened.

Frankly he hadn't expected himself to be back here. How long had it been since he had last seen this place? Ah! Almost eight years. He had lived here with Naruto for the one year of their marriage. He had been eighteen then, naive and too much in love...

He caught himself from his memories and shook his head before stepping into pitch darkness. He fumbled for the light switch and turned it on and instantly regretted his action when his eyes burned with the intensity of the bright bulb that hung right above his head. The bulb then began to flicker threatening to go out any minute and Sasuke quickly moved towards the kitchen.

It was a moan that alerted him of Naruto's presence and Sasuke was glad for the sound because without it Sasuke would have stepped on Naruto who lay sprawled on the floor.

He quickly bent down to look at Naruto. He touched the damp and hot forehead, wincing at the intensity of the fever. He checked Naruto's pulse, which was too slow for his liking. He looked outside and cursed at the heavy snowfall, which had somehow tripled itself making it impossible to take Naruto to the doctor.

"Naruto," he whispered slowly tapping Naruto's cheek, "Naruto wake up!"

No answer. Sasuke checked his pulse again and his eyes widened alarmingly. He slowly maneuvered Naruto's limp body to a sitting position before putting his limp arms around his own shoulders and staggered towards a nearby chair.

Once the blond man was seated, Sasuke shook him once again. "Wake up Naruto, we'll get you to a bed." Naruto still did not stir. Panic began seeping into Sasuke's chest almost constricting it to a point where he couldn't breathe.

Taking hold of Naruto by the lapels of the bathrobe, Sasuke shook him violently. "Don't you  _dare_  die on me Naruto or I swear to God, I  _will_  kill you!" Sasuke voice rose with each word, hysteria clouding his rationality.

"Stop-stop shaking me dammit!" Naruto's voice broke through his hyperventilation and Naruto pushed him away.

"Are you alright? Can you move? Should I carry you? God Naruto what should I  _do?_ " Sasuke asked worriedly.

"How about you shut up?" a blond eyebrow rose up in sarcasm.

That shut Sasuke up for about three seconds. "Should I make you some tea?" He rose uncertainly to move in the direction of the kitchen.

"What," Naruto rasped out, his voice hoarse with the infection, "what are you doing here?" he finally managed to finish his statement.

Sasuke hesitantly put down the teacup he was holding. It clattered horribly on the granite countertop making him wince at his nervousness. "Well, we need to talk." Sasuke said haltingly as he poured hot water into two cups and brought them over to where Naruto sat on the chair.

Apparently the effort of talking was too much for his ex-husband because Sasuke could only stare wide-eyed at Naruto while the latter lost his consciousness once again the tea long gone from his mind.

* * *

_Toast..._ the first thing that came to Naruto's mind was the aroma of toast and was that  _coffee?_

He opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling. Since when did he have wooden ceiling in his apartment?

It hit then. He was at his childhood house, taking a break from work because apparently Jiraiya thought that Naruto worked too hard on himself and his employees and deserved a break.

Naruto rolled his eyes.  _Yeah right._

But there were still some cobwebs in his mind, like the smell of coffee wafting in the air. Who the hell could have been cooking for him? And more than that, why was the face of Sasuke looking down at his with worry, etched into Naruto's skull feeling so real?

He turned towards the door when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps on the stairs and his mind filled with a sense of foreboding.

A moment later, the object of his hatred and his latest thoughts made his way into the bedroom carefully balancing a tray laden with breakfast. And immediately Naruto's brain began malfunctioning.

Even now, after eight years of their separation, Sasuke still possessed the tendency to turn his brain into goop with merely his presence. Clad in a pair of dark jeans that hugged his slender thighs and a back turtleneck, Sasuke still looked every bit as sexy as he did eight years ago. But then there were a few subtle changes. The once lean and youthful body had filled out to a manly chest that was emphasized by the sweater and there were a few lines of maturity on the handsome face, giving Sasuke an almost ruggedly handsome look.

But then the similarities were still there. He still wore his dark hair in the same way, two sets of heavy bangs on either side of his face with the weird outward spikes at the back. The aloof arrogance was still present in those dark eyes and the aura of calmness and casual elegance that no one else but the Uchiha's could pull off was still there.

But Naruto knew that deep inside all that casual elegance and mask of arrogance was a cold and callous man who was nothing but an empty shell manipulated by his family, who could stoop to any level to get what he wanted.

Hatred filled up Naruto's mouth with a flavor so bitter that he had to swallow hard to keep the bile inside.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked settling back against the headboard and folding his arms across his chest.

A slow smile crept up Sasuke's face as he leaned forward to touch Naruto's forehead to check the temperature. "The last time you asked me this question, you passed out even before hearing a word. Are you sure you will be able to hear me out this time?" a teasingly dark eyebrow rose up in inquiry.

"Don't get too cocky bastard," Naruto spat, the hatred clear in his voice, "and get on with it."

The smile became strained on Sasuke's face and immediately Naruto felt guilty. He watched Sasuke place the tray of food on the bed before walking over to the windows and burying his hands in the pocket of his jeans.

"I think you should eat first," Sasuke spoke in that calm authoritative voice which Naruto always admired. However, Sasuke was stalling and Naruto knew it.

"Quit stalling Sasuke and answer me." Patience was never one of Naruto's virtues.

Sasuke finally took a deep breath and turned around. Meanwhile Naruto's mind was racing a mile a minute to justify the reasons of seeing his ex here.

Just as Sasuke opened his mouth to speak, Naruto beat him to it. "Forget it."

For a second Sasuke looked confused. "What?"

"I said forget it. There's no way I'm selling that land to you at a lower rate."

Sasuke had the gall to look even more confused.

"Don't play dumb Sasuke. You're here to negotiate the price of that land aren't you? Is this really how bad you want it?" Naruto asked with somewhat amusement in his tone.

"So tell me Sasuke," he asked softly the amusement still intact. "Just how far are you willing to go to get that land?"

"I'm not here for the land." Sasuke finally spoke.

"Oh, aren't you?" If anything, Naruto sounded even more amused.

"I am here to talk about the past, Naruto."

Naruto tensed. He had come up with a various reasons for Sasuke's presence in the house but these words or this reason wasn't on that list.  _Didn't Sasuke want to forget the past too?_

"You have precisely ten seconds to get out of my room and one minute to get out of his house before I call the cops on you. Get out." Naruto screamed and immediately a waft of cough overtook him, almost making him double over when his stomach muscles clenched harshly.

Immediately Sasuke was beside him holding out a glass of water. "Drink some water."

Naruto pushed the water away as well as the man. "Get lost Sasuke," he managed to rasp out between heaves.

"I can't," Sasuke, said his voice hoarse with desperation. "I lost my keys in the snow and there's a blizzard outside."

That shut Naruto up for about ten seconds until he stood up and walked to the windows to check for him. Behind him Sasuke resisted the urge to tut, but rolled his eyes instead.

As if Naruto had read Sasuke's mind, "I don't and I will never trust a word of what you say to me Sasuke," Naruto stated with his back still to Sasuke.

Sasuke finally snapped. "Do whatever you want. The breakfast is on your bed if you wish to eat. I'm going downstairs." Sasuke said as he marched towards the glass doors firmly sliding them open. "Get some rest. We'll talk later."

Naruto sighed tiredly. He badly wanted to sleep again since his headache was now returning and besides he really didn't want to dwell on Sasuke's presence.

He got back into the bed shivering slightly when the warm blankets brought to mind his initial state of partial dressing and closed his eyes cherishing the warmth of the blankets.

It wasn't long before darkness engulfed his brain and he delved into a deep sleep.

* * *

When he awoke next, there was a lit candle on his nightstand and a foreign weight at the foot of his bed.  _Sasuke..._ he groaned internally. Of course! The bastard was here after all and it wasn't like a few hours' sleep would make the devil vanish.

First the small viral infection which had now grown into an all out battle against influenza, then the arrival of Uchiha Sasuke out of all the people in the world.

Really what had he done to deserve this?

At the foot of the bed, Sasuke cleared his throat to draw attention. "There's no power but I cooked and it's on your nightstand."

Naruto folded his hands on his chest once again after propping the pillows up and leaned against them. "Tell me something, how did you find me?" he quirked a curious brow.

Sasuke tensed. There was a sudden change in Naruto's demeanor that hinted reluctant acceptance of Sasuke's presence and now he really didn't know whether to be happy or scared about this reprieve.

"I went to your apartment in Konohagakure, there I met Jiraiya. He told me you were here."

Naruto's mouth twisted with sarcasm. "You'd have put up one hell of a performance to be able to convince him into revealing my whereabouts. Jiraiya wouldn't give you the time of day!" Naruto's dry and venomous voice cut through Sasuke's conscience.

"All I want-" Sasuke shook his head re-framing his words, "All I'm here for is some sort of peace offering, some kind of truce you could say. I'm tired of fighting you Naruto. I just want us to be what we were before we messed things up. I want our friendship back Naruto."

"So, you're not here for the land?" Naruto sounded unconvinced and heavily amused.

Had Sasuke been a lesser man, he'd have grabbed his hair and yanked hard at it. But being the stoic man that he was, he only grit his teeth and nodded. When he had composed himself a little, he spoke, "No I'm not here for the land. We'll negotiate that when you've reached Konoha. For now I just want us to be friends."

It took a while to notice that somewhere amidst all that revelation, Naruto had picked up his tray of food and was gobbling up the instant noodles at an alarming rate.

Sasuke internally smirked. He had after all been grateful to the fact that Naruto's love for ramen was for a lifetime and hence the stash of cup noodles had been a godsend. Lost in his happy bubble, he absently leaned forward and held out his hand for a handshake, "Friends?" he asked simply.

Naruto looked at the pale hand and then at the face of his ex-husband who looked so young and juvenile. Well Sasuke was eight years younger than him and throughout his lifetime Naruto knew he'd never find someone like Sasuke.

There were years of pent up love and pent up longing. Years when Naruto had needed the warmth of Sasuke's unconscious touches on his skin, wished for that reassuring smile as he came back from a hard day's labor at the steel company with his body aching from all the day's work. The company he wanted to acquire just so that he could give Sasuke all he had lost when he left the Uchiha mansion for Naruto, times when he had sacrificed his own needs to keep food on the table while Sasuke saved up his money for his tuition.

Time had taken so much from them. First the betrayals, then the animosity and finally the divorce that had torn everything apart sweeping their love, their friendship and their dreams in its wake. Maybe, here now this chance for a reconciliation of friendship was a sign? Maybe not love, maybe not lust, maybe not another chance of a future but just plain friendship?

Naruto looked deep into Sasuke's eyes. The innocence still remained and against his better judgment Naruto found himself shaking Sasuke's hand. "Friends," he confirmed.

Sasuke stood up pleased with his achievement. "Well then I'd better be off. Good night. Oh, and Naruto I am sleeping in the room right across from yours so call me if you need anything."

Sasuke winced when he realized how motherly he sounded. In their relationship it was Naruto not him who was the mother cooing and comforting at every small thing.  _Am I becoming soft?_

Relationship...another random word that popped into Sasuke's mind as he moved towards the lone cupboard in his room. Relationship...that was what he had with Naruto. Despite the divorce and all the adversities, they had always shared a bond. No matter how much they hated each other, it was there filling the cracks like an indestructible force binding them together, pushing them on the same boat.

True that they had fought this force, rowed against the wind, opposed everything just because there were too many cobwebs between them that needed clearance and now that Sasuke had pushed away his set, he just wanted the slate clean between himself and Naruto.

With this resolve in mind, he proceeded to close the door and moved to get dressed for the night. Just as he was pulling his shirt off, he had a better thought.

He went to the door and left it open in case Naruto called out to him during the night. He smirked after a moment.  _Yes, soft indeed._

* * *

It was midnight and Naruto was still awake, obsessed with the fact that Sasuke was sleeping in the room across from his.

At 1.45 a.m., he reached over, turned on the lamp, and picked up the bottle of sleeping pills.

" _As prescribed by the physician,"_ the label read in bright red letters. His physician had prescribed one tablet in case of an emergency.

_Sasuke...across his room...sleeping..._ yes, this sure was an emergency. Naruto popped a pill in his mouth and obediently waited for sleep.

Half an hour later, he was still awake, contemplating the pros and cons of taking another pill. With a sigh, he gulped down three more pills.

' _Nghn...Sasuke...so tight...yes...spread your legs wider...oh you like this don't you?'_

Underneath him, Sasuke moaned lifting his hips, the thrusts getting wilder and unsynchronized, his legs on Naruto's shoulders. Naruto made love to Sasuke over and over again till he realized he couldn't stop and he was scaring Sasuke.

"Naruto, you're scaring me! Stop or I'm calling a doctor!" Sasuke's panicked voice reached Naruto's feverish brain as the latter pounded mercilessly into Sasuke's heat.

No...he didn't need a doctor. He needed Sasuke's tight heat enveloping him, he needed the release he knew only Sasuke could give him. What good could a doctor do in such a case?

But something was not right. Naruto frowned in thought. The hand on his cheek just now was not his gentle Sasuke, nor was the other hand that shook his body.

Lust filled blue eyes opened wide when realization hit. "Are you alright?" Sasuke asked worriedly.

"Yea-yeah." Naruto fought to keep the blush down slapping Sasuke's hand away as he sat up straighter on the bed and settled the blankets to hide his erection.

"You were moaning and thrashing on the bed. I thought you were having a fit." Sasuke spoke with worry in his tone as he held out a steaming cup of coffee towards Naruto.

Their fingers brushed at the exchange causing pure electricity to travel down Naruto's spine.

Naruto quickly took the coffee and took a sip, savoring the scalding hit and the bitterness of the beverage. "I just had a nightmare," he spoke cursing inwardly for reacting to Sasuke's body like that.

"You might want to get dressed and come downstairs. I can make eggs for breakfast," Sasuke spoke, standing up and walking towards the door. Behind him Naruto grunted as Sasuke went downstairs.

The moment Sasuke exited his room; Naruto ran a frustrated hand through his hair, tugging at the blond strands in agitation. He'd let Sasuke get under his skin. But the dream! Oh dear lord! It had felt so real!  _Sasuke_ had felt so real in his arms!

As much as he tried to, he couldn't deny it. Sasuke's presence in the house evoked memories that he'd locked away. The pangs of lust he'd felt back then resurfaced and once again he wanted to possess Sasuke. He wanted Sasuke, no scratch that, he  _ached_ for Sasuke. And now he'd have to formulate a quick plan on how to preserve his sanity while Sasuke stayed in the house.

He nodded to himself before getting out of the bed. Downstairs he could hear Sasuke in the kitchen as he scratched his head and headed towards the shower. A scene from the delicious dream in the morning flitted through his brain suddenly and he grimaced as he looked down. A shower sounded perfect, a  _cold_ shower.

* * *

Sasuke was at the table jotting down something on a legal pad when Naruto came down fresh from the shower, clad in a pair of blue jeans that rode low on his hips and a thick orange sweatshirt. Despite the circumstances and the personal indifference he now bore towards Naruto, Sasuke had to admit, Naruto looked extremely sexy. He fought the urge to blush when he was caught in a knowing gaze.

Luckily for him, Naruto didn't comment and instead sat across from him at the dining table. Sasuke watched Naruto with a sense of unconscious familiarity, a small smile on his lips. This place was so relaxing.  _Naruto_ was so relaxing! Even if there was a part of their past that was filled with hatred and angst for each other, they were friends now. Judging from the way Naruto looked so happy and relaxed now, Sasuke knew it wouldn't be too long before they both developed a rhythm and got right back to normal.

_Just like before…maybe we even give our relationship another chance,_ Sasuke frowned at his train of thought.

He straightened just as Naruto turned to look at him. "You still can't cook can you?" Naruto sounded amused which immediately put Sasuke on defense. He squelched the urge to squirm and instead matched the indignant stare of his ex with one of his own.

"Never had the time to learn," Sasuke shot back.

"Figured as much. I bet you still have fancy nannies hovering over you every time you come home." It was a statement spoken sardonically, almost as if Naruto expected Sasuke to challenge it, to argue, as if Naruto was trying to pick a fight.

He stayed mute fighting down the words bubbling on the surface of his tongue dying to be voiced. Naruto's words cut through him like shards of glasses hurting him to the core.

He couldn't afford to pick a fight now. He didn't  _want_ to pick a fight now. After all hadn't he just found Naruto? Didn't they just decide to be friends? If he picked a fight now, it would be just like old times. The bitching, the complaining, the shit about life being a bitch and how they were stranded here in a fucking blizzard of all the things in the world and how Sasuke was losing business and how Naruto was being a pain in the ass for not trying to listen to him.

What difference would it make anyway? They were no longer a couple now. Naruto's words should not have cut through Sasuke's heart the way they did. As a matter of fact, Naruto should have had  _zero_ effect on him. Naruto  _didn't_ mean anything to him. So why,  _why_ did the statement hurt so much?

He was so lost in his musings that it took him a moment to realize that Naruto was now standing next to him and pouring himself a cup of coffee.

Sasuke watched fascinated as Naruto took an almost  _tentative_ sip of his coffee and  _almost_ grinned in relief. "At least you learnt how to make coffee!"

In a flash the anger abated. "A person is entitled to have at least one culinary skill," Sasuke said, "besides I have better things to do than enroll myself in Cordon Bleu and learn how to use a knife amongst other things."

"Heh! I know." Naruto snorted as he began rummaging through the refrigerator and found the bacon and eggs. "Allow me to cook something for us." He mock bowed and Sasuke felt mirth filling his insides.

Naruto went about the kitchen working like he'd been doing this everyday as he beat the eggs and turned the bacon with a skillet simultaneously.

Sasuke watched the scene with a sense of déjà vu. How many times during the one blissful year of their marriage had Naruto done this for him? The memories were pleasant now that the mistakes of the past were all out in the open and deep in his heart Sasuke knew Naruto was forgiven.

_Forgiven but not forgotten,_ a smile voice spoke up at the back of Sasuke's mind.

_Admit it Sasuke, there hasn't been a day when you did not think about him. When you didn't wish things were different between you two,_ the voice remained firm buzzing like an annoying bee.

_So what if I did? Naruto still wanted to separate_ , bitterly Sasuke fought back.

_Is that true? Wasn't it Fugaku who sent in the divorce papers?_ The firm voice fought back.  _Didn't Jiraiya tell you everything? How can you still be so angry at what happened?_

_But Naruto signed those papers,_ Sasuke fought back clinging to the final vestige of straws in a lost war.

_And despite all the hatred he bears in his heart for you, he let you stay here, he agreed to a truce with you. You must really be out of your mind to think he doesn't feel anything for you._

Sasuke sighed as he called it quits. Apparently this drew Naruto's attention for he turned and shot Sasuke a quizzical look. "Is something wrong?"

Sasuke shook his head and turned towards the table to stare at the burns and calluses on it. He absently trailed a broken line with his forefinger with his mind still on Naruto.

Despite being the elder of the two, Naruto was the irrational one, the one who acted without thought. This was one of the qualities that had always drawn Sasuke to him like a magnet. He was a risk taker, a man who would always fight for what he believed in, for those he loved. Naruto was complex, really. There were so many dimensions to him that just begged to be deciphered and Sasuke was drawn to them all.

The fire, the passion, the sex were just underlings, the man himself was the real deal. He had the brains that could easily charm a snake and at the same time a rugged edge that drew him apart from the norms. All in all, Uzumaki Naruto was a class of his own.

The delicious smell of bacon and eggs broke him out of his reverie and he gazed up with unfocused eyes on Naruto who, much to his surprise looked almost sheepish. "Um, I haven't cooked in a long time so I'm kind of nervous." Naruto trailed off rubbing the palm of his left hand with his right thumb.

"Hn, talk about pot calling the kettle black. Seems like I'm not the only one with babysitters eh?" Sasuke spoke with amusement.

Naruto smirked. "Learnt how to throw word back at me haven't ya Uchiha? Sweet! I like a dirty mouth." He'd spoken without thought and Sasuke grimaced at the innuendo.

Uncomfortable silence prevailed. There was a challenging glint in Naruto's eyes as if he once again waited for Sasuke to take the bait. Fighting now was either a round-maybe several-rounds of hot sweaty sex or exit from this place and Naruto's life forever.

And judging from the look in Naruto's eyes, the end result of both would be the same - Sasuke packing his bags and leaving this place without making amends; blizzard or not.

Finally he chose to break the silence. "Well let's call it even then and get started on the breakfast." He forced a smile, "I'm famished."

For the fraction of a second, Naruto looked relieved as he took his seat on the table. "Yeah, me too," he spoke softly.

They ate in silence for a few moments lost in thought, then Naruto spoke, "What were you writing?" He nodded towards the legal pad.

Sasuke glanced at the pad and twirled his fork listlessly in his plate. "Nothing, just jotting down some stipulations for the next meeting." He sighed. "Father is thinking of appointing Shisui as the president."

_Why the hell was he telling Naruto all this?_ But knowing Naruto, Sasuke was free to discuss all his problems regarding the company with him. After all Naruto would be able to provide him some valuable advice because of his vast experience.

"And...?" Naruto prompted, knowing there was more to come. His head hurt slightly but he knew that whatever Sasuke was disclosing to him at the moment was important to the man and maybe Sasuke was seeking some advice.

"I don't think he should." Sasuke looked down at his plate sadly.

Impulsively, Naruto crept forward and placed an arm on Sasuke's shoulders. "Why do you think that Sasuke?"

"Because Shisui can't handle it."

"Huh? Isn't he good enough?"

"Naruto, I'm not saying that." Sasuke huffed in indignation. "All I'm saying is that Shisui is good, really good, but..." he paused running a hand through his hair, "Shisui is untrustworthy."

" _What?"_ Naruto frowned in confusion and disbelief.

Sasuke looked over at Naruto's expression and sighed. He pushed the plate of food away clearly not hungry and said, "And I don't think he's cut for the job of being the president of Uchiha Corporations."

Naruto's frown deepened. "What makes you say that?"

Sasuke stood up from the chair and began pacing agitatedly. "Shisui is so  _carefree_  and  _uncaring_! Uchiha Corporations need someone who is  _serious_  and  _devoted_! More than half the time, Shisui comes late for meetings and most of the times he is noisily chewing on something. He's a social disgrace." Sasuke sat back down panting.

"So are you turning down Shisui only because he's socially inept?" Naruto looked incredulous.

Sasuke shot Naruto a disgusted look. "He's  _insane_ Naruto! He comes to work in  _bedroom slippers_ and there was this one time when I saw him pick his nose and that other time he had  _dirt_ underneath his  _nails_ and..." he stopped short when he saw Naruto's head on the table and the latter's body shaking badly.

Thinking that Naruto was having a fit, he quickly moved towards Naruto and tried shaking him. "Na-Naruto don't you dare fall sick again! Please! I'll go look for your medicines and..."

"How about you shut up Sasuke?" Naruto's voice filled with laughter resounded from the table. A moment later Naruto lifted his head and Sasuke knew the reason for the shaking. Naruto was laughing!

"You're not having a fit!" Sasuke's voice came angry.

"You sound like you wish I was," Naruto sounded relaxed and heavily amused.

Sasuke fought the urge to punch Naruto. He couldn't believe Naruto was reacting like this!

After a few moments Naruto calmed down. "So, that explains your dislike for Shisui." Naruto nodded for emphasis before continuing, "However, this is still no reason for distrusting him Sasuke."

Sasuke stiffened. He  _had_ to tell Naruto. "I think Shisui is associated with Itachi."

Now it was Naruto's turn to stiffen. Naruto looked shocked. "What makes you say that?" he finally managed to voice out.

Sasuke folded his arms across his chest and said, "I've been keeping tabs on Shisui lately. A few of my men are watching over him and his phone's being tapped." He leaned forward and placed his clasped hands on the table. Taking a deep breath he said, "Lately he has been making calls to a private number which is practically untraceable and he has been leaking a bit of insider information. I think the number is Itachi's."

"Why?"

"Because this  _sounds_  like Itachi! I mean come to think of it Naruto. Ever since Itachi ran away to become a mafia felon, Shisui became all heart-broken and anti-social. We are both aware of how close Itachi and Shisui were. Don't you think Itachi would have done his damndest to keep in touch with Shisui?" Sasuke reasoned.

"Is this just instinct or do you have proof?" Naruto asked thoughtfully.

"One of my men did see Shisui drive off in a rental car last weekend."

"Then?"

"He followed Shisui, obviously, but turns out Shisui went an unknown lady's house. After Shisui's departure, that man placed bugs on the house and kept surveillance but there was only an old woman in the house. So no proof of Itachi. But something tells me that Shisui is connected to Itachi."

"Has this affected your business in any way?" Naruto looked concerned.

"It's too early to tell." Sasuke ran a tired hand through his face.

"Is there something else bothering you?" Naruto asked taking in Sasuke's haggard expression.

"Someone has been buying our stock. Nothing alarming but it could become a problem in the future." Sasuke sighed.

"Do you think it is Itachi?" Naruto asked.

"Can't say at the moment but as far we know it could be him." He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table and placed his chin atop his clasped hands. "What do you think Naruto?"

Naruto thought for a moment. Finally he put down the fork he was mindlessly twirling in his hands and folded them neatly on the table. "Hm. I really can't say but I think this couldn't be Itachi." He leaned back on the chair and regarded Sasuke with cool assessing eyes. "Either way, I think you should tell your father everything."

Sasuke snorted. "Don't you know my father Naruto? The man wouldn't listen to a word unless I gave him solid proof and yiou know I don't have anything like that. If only there was a way to prove this!"

Naruto nodded; his jaw tightening briefly. Of course he knew Fugaku Uchiha! Wasn't Fugaku the prime reason for the end of his season with Sasuke? What was the word he'd used for Naruto? Ah!  _Crazy faggot,_ was it? That along with the big talk about 'buying Naruto and selling him on the market for five hundred yen, maybe a thousand if Naruto were lucky'.

"Whatever it is, the fact of the matter is all of this cannot be ignored Sasuke. If Shisui is a potential threat to the Uchiha Corporations, make sure your father learns of this. As it is, we are both aware of how important the company is to your father." He picked up the fork again and began twirling it in his hands.

Sasuke watched him twirl the piece of cutlery silently. He knew Naruto was deep in thought and judging from the scowl on the tan forehead, the thoughts weren't exactly pleasant. "There is still something that irks me." He put down the fork and gestured towards Sasuke, "Why didn't he choose you as the president?"

Sasuke looked deep into Naruto's eyes as if searching for any clues that Naruto might be playing dumb. "Why do you think Naruto?" he asked softly.

Silence stretched between the two like mist; deceptive yet promising. It was a mind game and they both knew it. Finally Naruto spoke, "Maybe because he doesn't like you enough?"

Sasuke didn't answer. Instead he stood up to put the plates in the sink.

Naruto came up behind him. He was close enough that Sasuke could almost feel his heat against his own skin yet so far.

Suddenly Sasuke yearned for the heat again. He wished he could feel the security Naruto's arms provided when they wrapped against his waist.

"Well?" Naruto prompted still waiting for the answer.

"You know my relationship with Father Naruto. He thinks I'm still naïve and that I'm not capable of handling the company's dealings." Sasuke looked down at his shoes and walked past Naruto to take a seat at the table once again.

He traced another pattern on the wood with his thumb and took a deep breath. In a voice hoarse with pain and longing he said, "I waited all my life for this Naruto, for this,  _this_ company. I gave up  _everything_ and father thinks I'm  _inept_ and _naïve!"_

Naruto didn't answer and Sasuke just shook his head and pushed his chair back. "I think you should get some rest now," he forced a smile as he reached out to touch Naruto's forehead. "Your fever seems to have cooled down." He let his hand linger on the forehead relishing the feel of Naruto's skin against his while his eyes gazed longingly into Naruto's.

When he finally retracted his hand, Naruto swiftly captured it and held it never breaking eye contact. "Sasuke, this wasn't the thing that you came all the way here to tell me, right?"

Silence stretched between them, quiet and expectant. Naruto watched Sasuke with relaxed eyes finding little amusement in the way Sasuke squirmed.

"Naruto," he spoke finally as he pulled his hand away and walked towards the windows, "I did not want the divorce."

Behind him Naruto snorted. "It wasn't me who sent the divorce papers."

Sasuke turned around. "It wasn't me either." he said softly.

Naruto shrugged and turned away. "Doesn't matter anymore, does it? The relationship was always a burden to you. I mean, when we got married you were too young to shoulder something so big. Fuck, you could have mistaken all the good sex for love Sasuke!" he walked to the table and sat on it folding his arms across his chest in the process.

Sasuke sighed. "I-I met with an accident while you were in Otogakure."

"I know." Naruto's answer sounded dead and for the fraction of a second Sasuke's shoulders froze with the hurt he felt.

He turned back to the window his hands deep into the pockets of the cashmere sweater he wore. Then he shrugged. "I was coming home one night after a fraternity meeting, might have had an extra drink or two. The next thing I knew there was this huge truck coming out of nowhere and jamming into my car." He swallowed past the fear. "I was so scared. I thought I was going to die." Sasuke finished in a whisper and turned towards Naruto.

Vaguely Naruto looked down and thought why Sasuke was telling him all of this now and he looked up to see uncertain and frightened black eyes staring back at him and he knew. Sasuke wasn't telling him this for pity or sympathy. Sasuke was telling him this because he wanted to share the pain he had felt when he was all alone in the hospital fighting between life and death while Naruto thought Sasuke did not love him anymore.

Gone was the man who had stood in front of Naruto at a charity meeting not three months ago and in his place stood the eighteen year old naive boy with his heart in his eyes wearing the most vulnerable expression that made Naruto's heart ache with a tenderness past bearing.

In three strides Naruto crossed the distance between them and enveloped Sasuke tightly to his chest. "It's okay," he whispered his lips against Sasuke's inky black hair, "It's over."

But Sasuke wasn't listening to him. He was lost in the memory of that fateful night eight years ago. He leaned into Naruto for all the support he had needed then as if seeking it now could somehow heal all those wounds, fill up all the loneliness he had felt all those years ago.

He remembered it clearly now. The accident came to him in vivid details as if it was just yesterday when he had seen the truck approach, the sickening sound of metal against metal, of screeching tires against the gravel, the helplessness of being trapped between the seal belt and the wheel fighting for every breath and finally the absolute bliss promising freedom from the pain. He had to tell Naruto this, he  _wanted_ to tell Naruto this because clearing the cobwebs was the only way he could let go of the past and move on.

"I had had an extra drink or two," he repeated his chest tightening with despair his eyes a window of the past. "Sui had offered to drive me home because he thought I wasn't in the right state to drive but I rejected the offer since I wasn't  _that_ out and well," he shrugged, "because I was mad at you for not calling me."

Naruto made a sound at the back of his throat and Sasuke could feel the tension in Naruto's body as if preparing itself for the onslaught. "I was doing fifty or sixty at the highway when the truck slammed into my car," he whispered.

He turned towards Naruto and Naruto's heart did a double flip when those haunted eyes met his. "I thought," his voice shook with the pain, "I thought I was going to die!" Tears rolled down pale cheeks but Sasuke seemed unaware of them forging ahead determined to get it all out. He had never told anyone about it. The emotions were still too raw to voice but with Naruto things were different. Fuck,  _Naruto_ was different! The dimensions of their relationship had always been different. Naruto was the only one with who Sasuke could be like this - a raw product, the same vulnerable naive boy who had believed Naruto was an angel with his halo of blond hair and blue eyes. Naruto could be the only one to see his tears, to wipe them all away, to make it alright. Naruto was his savior.

"When I thought I was going to die I thought 'I don't want to die! I have to wait for Naruto to come back. We haven't even lived properly as a couple!'" Sasuke shuddered and looked into Naruto's blue eyes pleadingly. "I didn't want to die," he repeated.

"You made it Sasuke," Naruto whispered proudly tightening his hold on Sasuke afraid to let him go lest the memories came back to haunt Sasuke. "You survived."

"I don't know for how long I was there. It could have been days, weeks or even a month for all I care! All I knew was how much I wanted to see you. Father had told me he had sent you news about my accident and I waited and waited for you to come and see me." He snorted as if remembering something, "I had this little fantasy of how I would wake up one morning to find you beside me looking at me and telling me it's alright." His vulnerable black eyes looked up into Naruto's. "I must sound so childish, right?" he smiled sadly falling out of his reverie and moving out of Naruto's embrace.

If anything, Naruto held him tighter to his chest refusing to let him go. "When I heard about your accident I boarded the first flight home, but when I got to the hospital," he paused to clear his throat, "I was told you didn't - you didn't want to see me."

Sasuke looked up surprised, "What?"

Naruto nodded, "There was police and security guards all over the wing you were staying to block me out if I tried to come near you forcefully."

"I wanted you to be there so badly," Sasuke whispered clutching Naruto's shirt and burying his face in it.

"Had I known you wanted to see me Sasuke," Naruto whispered tears streaming down his own face, "No power of this earth could have stopped me! I would have done my damndest to be there so that when you woke up I would be right there beside you holding your hand like this," he held Sasuke's hand in a firm grip, "and then I would have kissed it like this," he kissed the pale hand, "and then I would have wiped your tears away and told you it was going to be okay," he murmured against Sasuke's hair.

The rest came to them naturally. Sasuke turned completely towards Naruto and brought his lips closer to the ones darkened with years of smoke like it was the most natural thing in the world. This moment here felt so right, Naruto here tightening his arms around Sasuke's waist felt so right. Like an interlude to their story the feelings came rushing back. Naruto kissed him the same way he used to kiss him eight years ago, with his tongue probing Sasuke's mouth to open. However, the touch was gentle, persuasive almost like Naruto was seeking permission. While Naruto's mouth courted Sasuke's in the most timeless of manners, his body was a study of contradiction as it ground against Sasuke's. His hands unbuttoned Sasuke's cashmere sweater with a haste that completely belied the gentleness of his mouth.

Sasuke on the other hand was nothing but a mass of jelly in Naruto's arms. His mouth opened almost readily as he took in Naruto's tongue and used his own to explore Naruto's mouth. His hands had seemed to lost all their ability as they lost themselves in that haphazard blond tornado on Naruto's head while his hips bucked urgently against Naruto's. After the sweater had been pushed back Naruto groaned at the turtleneck Sasuke wore. He broke the kiss and hastily pulled Sasuke's clothes off his body. Once the dark haired man was divested of all his clothes, Naruto roved his eyes greedily over Sasuke's taking in the masculine changes from the boy he had last seen.

What he saw took all of his willpower not to shove Sasuke on the floor, shred his jeans and underwear to pieces patience be  _damned_ and screw him senseless there and then. He had been denied eight years of his life with the only man who could make him want like this. This was eight years of want, of love, of yearning, of  _Sasuke_  and his innocent touches, his unsure hands seeking guidance so that he could give pleasure while he got it in return. Naruto's heart swelled with joy as those uncertain hands paused and questioning midnight looked deeply into his asking for permission.

Sasuke scratched Naruto's back lightly as the latter pleasured his ear with his teeth and tongue. Naruto's control snapped when Sasuke ran his tongue on Naruto's neck. He pushed Sasuke towards the stairs, his lips hungry and possessive as they bit and licked and sucked Sasuke's own. Rationality was a thing of the past and Sasuke couldn't have been more eager to comply.

At the bedroom door, Naruto finally pushed down Sasuke's jeans and boxers and grasped Sasuke's heat making the pale man moan at the contact. His own hands were lost in Naruto's hair too engrossed in taking their fill to do the same to Naruto.

It hit Naruto after a moment or two that Sasuke was not going to be of any assistance considering how lost he looked with his eyes closed and lips parted; not to mention aroused - thoroughly aroused. The expression alone took Naruto's breath away and he panted heavily while he urgently ripped off his own jeans and boxers to bring his cock against Sasuke's.

He leaned Sasuke against the door for support their erections completely in contact with each other. Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto's torso and thrust roughly taking Naruto's lips in another kiss. They ground against each other their thrusts mercilessly banging the glass door against the wall, till Naruto, fed up with the noise, pushed Sasuke against the wall and lifted him so that the dark-haired man could wrap his legs around Naruto. He quickly carried Sasuke towards his bedroom.

Once they were in bed, Naruto stripped off whatever remaining clothes there were between them and once again took both their cocks in his hand. Under him, Sasuke continued to pant into Naruto's neck arousing Naruto more with each breath.

"If you continue doing that Sasuke," he panted his hand moving faster, "I won't last long."

To this, Sasuke bucked his hips harder into Naruto's hand and moaned loudly.

Naruto spat on his left hand and probed Sasuke's entrance lightly. "I'm sorry," was all he said and then a finger entered Sasuke, making the dark-haired man freeze mid-thrust. Huge dark eyes zeroed in on Naruto's and he mouthed a small "O" in pain.

Above him, Naruto soothed him slowly as he moved his finger in and out of Sasuke. He kissed along Sasuke's jaw all the way to his ear and pleasured it thoroughly with his tongue. His right hand moved to Sasuke's hair to massage gently on the scalp. A few shallow strokes later Sasuke relaxed somewhat and Naruto took this opportunity to insert another finger.

This time Sasuke clamped his legs shut together and refused to move. Naruto looked deep into Sasuke's eyes as if seeking permission and after a moment Sasuke reluctantly obeyed, relaxing his legs a little and allowing Naruto to move his hand. Naruto moved his fingers slowly at first but when Sasuke spread his legs wider and thrust back in time with Naruto's, Naruto inserted one more finger. He dipped his finger slightly at an angle he remembered and suddenly Sasuke was arching his back again and trying to grapple on to something as pleasure hit him.

He pulled out his fingers when Sasuke's back returned to the bed but immediately aligned his own erection and spat some more in his hand to slick himself up. He entered Sasuke in one swift stroke and paused for Sasuke to adjust. When Sasuke seemed ready, Naruto grabbed Sasuke's legs and put them around his waist. He kept a fast pace too impatient with the way Sasuke's walls clenched around his length. He leaned forward and took Sasuke's cock in his hand, moving his hand in synchronization with his thrusts while Sasuke grabbed on to the headboard like it was his lifeline screaming in ecstasy every time Naruto hit his prostrate.

Naruto came when Sasuke's walls clenched around his as the dark-haired man screamed his release. He leaned down on Sasuke all sweaty and breathless and smiled completely satiated.

Once he got down from his high, Naruto was struck with the  _familiarity_ of the situation. This was Sasuke beneath him, the same Sasuke who he had met on a fateful night eight years ago and had fallen in love with at first sight. Abruptly he wrapped his arms around Sasuke and breathed in the familiar scent of the man. He had missed it. So much so that at times he would wake up in cold sweat in Otogakure long after their divorce his heard filled with sadness and longing and wish for things to have been better. When he went through all the events of his past just to figure out what had gone so wrong that Sasuke had hated him so much. There were nights when he had cried himself to sleep wishing for another chance with Sasuke. This was love that had always been there between them.

Now that fate had once again given him the chance, he was suddenly extremely unsure of himself, too scared that he would lose himself once again only to have it backfire on him, only to lose Sasuke once again.

"I've missed you," he whispered clutching Sasuke tighter to his chest.

Sasuke looked deep into Naruto's eyes and smiled sleepily. "I've missed you too Naruto, I've missed you too."

They fell asleep like that. Naruto sprawled on top of Sasuke still inside the man, his arms holding Sasuke like he was never going to let go of the man.

_Well,_ he figured tightening his hold still his face buried in Sasuke's neck,  _maybe this time he really wasn't._

* * *

When he awoke next there was no Sasuke on his bed and immediately Naruto panicked. He put on his gown and hastily ran downstairs to the kitchen only to find Sasuke struggling with a can of sardines.

Irrationally, he grabbed the can from Sasuke's hands, slammed it on the counter and hugged the dark-haired man tightly.

"Wh-What?" Sasuke asked too taken aback by the sudden hug to react properly.

"I have a proposal for you," Naruto spoke against Sasuke's shoulder.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked as he kissed Naruto.

"I'm willing to sell you the land you wanted in Konoha." Naruto said between kisses. He pushed Sasuke against the counter top and traced Sasuke's neck with his fingers.

"For how much?" Sasuke asked kissing Naruto back.

"A lifetime with you." Naruto said and looked straight into Sasuke's eyes.

"What?" Sasuke wanted to sound surprised but it came out more like a husky moan.

Naruto grinned and Sasuke caught Naruto's lower lip between his teeth. "You heard me." Naruto said as he leaned forward and licked Sasuke's tongue shivering when the contact sent a bolt of electricity down his spine.

"But that's - " Sasuke was stopped with Naruto's teeth nipping his lower lip.

"Too early? Too late?" He leaned back and surveyed Sasuke for a second. "We can start again Sasuke."

"But - " Sasuke started again but Naruto shut him up again with a kiss.

"Yes or no?" Naruto asked fear creeping in his tone.

"Oh will you let me speak?" Sasuke asked as he pushed Naruto a little with his hand.

Reluctantly Naruto stepped away and crossed his arms across his chest. He nodded his assent.

"That's a very huge loss you're going to incur Mr. Uzumaki." Sasuke raised his eyebrows challengingly at Naruto.

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Are you rejecting my offer?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and pulled Naruto towards him. He hit the blond man on the forehead. "Idiot! I'm willing to buy that land for six million," he said. He saw Naruto's crestfallen look and sighed, " _and_ for a lifetime with you," he said.

Naruto's head shot up so quickly he almost gave himself a backlash. "Are you serious?" he whispered.

Sasuke raised his eyebrows and smiled again. "Why? Would you rather make it five million?" he asked.

Naruto laughed. "Of course not! If you're willing to pay six million then who am I to lower the rates?"

Sasuke pulled back from Naruto's kiss and frowned. "Make it three million and we're talking."

Naruto leaned away, "Forget it."

Sasuke pushed Naruto's hands away from his body and nodded, "whatever you say."

Naruto panicked. "Okay three million and a lifetime with you?" he asked.

Sasuke smiled and pulled Naruto closer to himself. "That's one amazing deal you got there Mr. Uzumaki," he said.

Naruto lifted Sasuke and placed him on the counter before throwing off his robe. He leaned down and kissed Sasuke, "I know Sasuke, I know."

* * *

**Reviews would be lovely!**


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